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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Fever
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Rebecca J. (Knoxville, TN)
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
A wonderful book for both fiction and historical fiction fans, the story is about Typhoid Mary (who I didn't even know actually existed). You alternately like, hate and feel sorry for Mary who, although a smart woman, cannot accept the fact that she is a healthy carrier of typhoid. The fact that she cooks for a living makes for a dangerous situation. Rich in characters and in setting, this book is a winner.
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Jean N. (New Richmond, OH)
FEVER
I was totally taken by this book- from the opening pages, until the very end.
Mary was so strong and courageous. I admired her as a person, yet I had serious questions about some of her choices.
The descriptions of the early 1900's in New York City were fascinating. Learning the whole story of Typhoid Mary was eye opening.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction. Fever would also be a great book for book groups- there are so many issues to discuss and debate.
I have been an avid reader since I was a child. Fever is a book- and Mary is a woman- that I would classify as "unforgettable".
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Ruth O. (Downingtown, PA)
Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary! Germ-woman! Mary Mallon was called these things and more in the early 20th century. This novel was a fictionalized account of the life of the first known 'healthy carrier' of typhoid in an era of rapidly advancing science. Mary was a cook who infected numerous persons with typhoid, some of whom died. This book humanized her but left me with mixed emotions about her. She was clearly a victim in many aspects, by being a disease carrier and by her lack of advanced education, although she was literate. The scientists and doctors of the day basically stripped away her rights without providing her with a real understanding of why. However, in the beginning she was belligerent and didn't make an effort to understand, which resulted in the infections and deaths of even more people. The novel also gave a glimpse of the tumultuous relationship Mary had with her 'significant other' Alfred. This relationship provided a secondary story that painted a picture of drug addiction to opium and morphine in the days before doctors realized that what they prescribed caused so much harm. Laws were enacted prior to World War 1 to prevent such addictions.
I enjoyed this book very much as I learned who Typhoid Mary really was and also learned about how science advanced into the modern era. I think that this novel would be great book club material.
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Elise B. (Macedonia, OH)
Fever
I have heard the label "Typhoid Mary" before, but had never actually thought much about the fact that there was an actual person that carried this nickname. I felt that Mary Beth Keane did an excellent job weaving fact and fiction to profile this infamous woman. I found it just as interesting to read about life in New York City in the early 1900's. My great-grandparents were also immigrants in New York City during this same time period and I have a greater appreciation of what their life might have been like. I would highly recommend this book for book clubs because I think it could open up a lot of discussion about various of ethical issues; some of which we face today i.e. AIDS and Hepatitis.
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Darcy C. (San Diego, CA)
What a Wretched & Wonderful Book!
We've all heard about Typhoid Mary, but who was she? Was she real or just a made-up character? Well, she WAS real and this fabulous book tells her story. This is a woman with moxy and self-confidence (at least outwardly) and stamina that enabled her to last through six day work weeks and 12 hours per day. Not only did I learn about this tremendous woman, Mary Mallone, I also was put right into the streets and tenements of the early 1900's. Life was so hard and so dirty and it's hard to understand that life was not even 100 years ago. I loved this book and learning about Mary and it also was a superb historical-fiction. Get this book! It was an absorbing read. I gobbled the words down, typhoid be darned!!
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Donna T. (Tacoma, WA)
Coming to like the woman known as Typhoid Mary
Fever is very well written and easy to follow. Unexpectedly I came to like Mary Mallone. Mary, like so many of us,long denied truths that were evident to most others. She made me stop and take a look at my life, wondering what I might be denying about my self. Mary Best Keane did a great job of researching the culture of the era as well as medical and social issues. She helped me to feel like I was living in the early 20th century. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction and to book clubs that like discussing moral and ethical issues posed in books of this type.
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L.S. (Westford, MA)
Compelling
It's the kind of book where you dread the last page because the story ends. The characters stay with you after that last page. Mary Beth Keane brilliantly brings the characters to life and makes you feel like you are right in the midst of their lives with all the frustration, cruelty and helplessness. I found myself cheering Mary on as she fights for her freedom and tries to hold on to some little happiness. I'll never think of Typhoid Mary the same way before I read this book.
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